She’d lost a lot when she’d left. All at once anger filled her. That Kedric would ask her to just drop her search for her sister after everything she’d lost pissed her off anew.
“I’ve always thought of you as my daughter, and I couldn’t be more proud of you.” Beatrice’s voice pulled her from her thoughts.
She turned and pulled her into a tight hug. “I love you, Bea.”
“Oh now, let’s not start the waterworks.” Bea backed up and ran a critical eye across Liliana’s appearance. “Just beautiful.” She wiped her eyes.
“Thank you for everything.” Liliana stepped into her shoes.
“Be sure to visit me once in a while. I know your mate will be taking you to Adro straightaway.” Bea fanned her face, looking up to trap her tears.
“I've a better idea. Come to Adro with me. You can stay with Leo and me. Not as a maid, but as my family. Think about it, Bea. Leo wouldn’t deny me this."
Bea fussed with her own gown. “I’ve not much use for Adro. Can’t stand the crowds if you must know.”
"You can help me with my children, be there for them as you've been for me." Liliana wheedled.
"My place is here." Bea wiped her cheeks and turned Lily to face the mirror.
“What pray tell is taking so long.” Arian breezed into the room, looking over Liliana and dismissing her all in one glance.
“It’s your daughter’s mating ceremony, would you rather me let her leave looking like a ragamuffin.” Beatrice snapped.
Liliana’s eyes widened at the woman’s sharp tone. The women shared a look she didn’t understand and came to some sort of unspoken agreement.
“She looks fine, let’s go and get this over with.”
Arian’s words stung, but she was determined not to let her mother see. “Thank you, mother, you’re so gracious.”
For a moment, albeit a very short moment, something akin to remorse flitted across Arian’s expression. Recovering, her mother gave her a thin smile. Liliana took comfort in the fact that she would go back to Adro after the di êjê. Being free of her mother was worth all the trouble she'd been through.
They left the Amanda station, her parents, Bea and she, piling into a private sky lift decked out in the royal colors. Red and orange livery covered the lift, the King's insignia displayed prominently. All they passed would know its inhabitants were favorites of the royal house. What they wouldn't know was the so called favorites were actually persona non grata. Anyone attending the ceremony would only do so out of morbid curiosity. The thought sent a fresh wave of nausea through her. Despite what her mother thought, she hated being a spectacle.
Arian gathered her cloak closely, preening under the attention. The royal palace peeked from behind the clouds. The structure surrounded by fog, looked the part of every human fairy tale. The white parapets topped with gold glittered under the sun. Nerves attacked her full blown and the urge to run made her legs twitch. You can do this, you like Leo. Just get through it. She took deep breaths through her pep talk. It was how she had gotten through her years on Adro, and it would get her through today. In through her nose, out through her mouth, just a small ceremony and she would never have to deal with the scrutiny of Legba.
Right.
She could do this.
***
Despite the size of the chamber room, Leo was suffocating. He adjusted the collar on his dress uniform. Moments from the start of the ceremony, he was ready to flee.
Fallon clapped him on the back. "Stop fidgeting. You're well and truly stuck, bro."
Leo grimaced. "Great pep talk."
Xavier walked over to them. He adjusted Leo's sleeves and checked over the rest of his uniform. Leo swatted his hands.
"What are you, my valet? I'm nervous enough without you two fussing around me."
Xavier clucked his teeth. "I'm just trying to make sure you don't go out and embarrass us."
"It's way too late for that." Fallon laughed.
You know what…"
"Boys." his father cut in. Ranolph narrowed his eyes and pointed a finger at the three of them from across the room.
They straightened, the argument immediately ending. Their father used to be the leader of the Amanda, the authority in his voice came from years of wrangling stubborn warriors and boisterous boys.
Xavier cleared his throat. "You have a meeting with Rue when you return to Adro."
The room keeled and Leo sucked in a breath. Hope and fear sent his already jittery nerves into overdrive. He had to make the god understand. He needed the Amanda. He'd grown up following the soldiers around, learning everything he could. He couldn't remember a time when he was not with the Amanda. It was all he'd ever dreamed of being. Being assigned the Hunter’s job had been surreal, and he’d worked his ass off to keep it. He knew hunting would probably be out of the question, but he hoped to talk the god into anything but a desk job.
"Thank you, Xavier." Now more than ever he was anxious to be done with the ceremony.
"Everything will work out, Leo." His father crossed the room. Ranolph's gruff tone betrayed the emotion in his voice.
His brothers left to give them privacy.
"Baba." Leo grabbed his father's hands to still their motion. "My uniform is fine. I'll be fine, whatever the decision."
They stared in silence until his father finally nodded. "Your mother is here."
Damn, he’d forgotten to give him the head’s up.
"Well, it should make for an interesting reception." Between his mother, Liliana's and the Queen, they would surely have to put away any sharp objects. Leo sighed. They should’ve skipped the damn ceremony. As it was, the planning had taken a lot longer than he’d wanted. Luckily, no other attempts to attack his mate had happened, and he breathed a little easier.
The king stepped into the room. He nodded politely to Ranolph and faced Leo. "The shaman is here, and Liliana has arrived. It's time to start the di êjê."
Leo curled his lip at the king.
His father sighed. "Leo, you cannot blame Leander."
"I don't want to talk about this now, baba."
"He and I are friends you know."
"Yes, your ‘best friend’ slept with your mate." Leo’s dry tone conveyed his disdain.
Ranolph shook his head. "You don’t understand. We were both bloody civilized about the whole thing if you must know."
He scoffed. Sure the king was happy to keep things civil. His father’s fighting skill was known across all seven realms. His father was naïve if he thought the king didn’t make nice for convenience sake. No one wanted to be on the bad side of the Amanda.
"We all had our part in the debacle." Ranolph cleared his throat and clapped Leo on the back. "We'll talk later."
Leo clenched his fist. There was no use talking about it later. Would it change the way he felt about Leander? No. Too much time had passed. Besides, Leo knew if his father had not been head of the Amanda, the king would've looked the other way as his wife made good on her promise. His illegitimate heir would've no longer been a problem.
"I have the father I want, there is no need to discuss what's in the past, baba. Once I leave Legba, I've no plans to rush back."
Ranolph sighed. "My only advice to you, son, on this day, is to take care of your mate. Put her before all others because eternity with a bitter woman is a very long time."
"Way to put me in the mood for the di êjê."
Ranolph held up his hands in surrender. "Fine. I will say this, you are going to enjoy the ceremony and the next few hours after it." With a twinkle in his eye, his father left and Leo stood alone in the chamber room.
He closed his eyes, thankful for the few seconds of silence.
"It's time, Leo." Xavier smiled and held the door open.
They walked down the small hallway in silence. Xavier left him at the door of the throne room that had been transformed for the mating ceremony. The king and queen sat at their thrones on a raised dais in the front of the room. A sea of peop
le filled the seats and stood along the walls of the chamber. The jewels and bright colors dazzled the eye, as nobles fought to outdo the other. A black tide of the uniformed Amanda lined the walls of the chamber and Leo smiled. They looked out of place amidst the stained glass windows they stood along. Winged folk frolicked in various scenes from the walls stretching to the high ceilings, all meeting in the middle of the chamber ceiling to worship the sun and moon.
His eyes roamed the scenes, until the door on the other side of the chamber opened. The crowd quieted as Liliana stepped into the doorway. Leo dared not blink. His stomach rolled, a long liquid tumble as their eyes met. She glowed from head to toe, more beautiful than anything he'd ever seen. He observed the quick movements of her hands as she fidgeted, read the nerves on her face and his heartbeat sped. He thought wistfully of love.
Would it come for them?
He looked to the front row where his family was seated. His father and mother were separated by his brothers, and from the tense set of his father's shoulders, words had already been exchanged. He looked back at Liliana. Uncertainty and a small trace of fear reflected in her eyes. He made up his mind. There would be love, he would make sure of it. There was already affection between the two of them. Surely he could build it into more.
They would not be like his parents.
I swear it.
His ears rang, pressure built in his head, and from his mind to the gods, his oath was accepted. The music cued, and Leo began his march to the stone alter. Liliana walked from the opposite side, and they met in the middle. The shaman smiled at them both and started the ceremony. The ancient chant relaxed him, and tendrils of magic wound around them as the binding spell began. The shaman joined their hands. Magic circled them, a shining rope that wrapped around their arms, their heads and then their bodies. A solid line shimmered between them chest to chest and he smiled.
There would be love.
The binding magic sensed it, and displayed it for all to see. A cheer went up from the soldiers lining the walls. A low hum started, the shaman chanted louder and the rope spinning around them sped up. Light emanated from them both, blocking his peripheral vision until it was just he and Liliana encapsulated in a circle of amber light. His body heated, his teeth grew in his mouth. They both stepped closer to each other until only a breath separated them. The shaman stepped back and Leo bent his head to Liliana. His teeth scraped her neck and he bit down until he tasted her blood. The di êjê, the blood binding, would bond them in the eyes of the gods and ancestors. The exchange of blood sealed them, soul to soul.
Gods, the rush. Her taste crowded his senses, and rushed straight to his head. Everything else faded to the background. He luxuriated in the taste of her, his heart racing, fire burning through him. All of that blood immediately raced to his growing erection, hardening him to the point of madness. His teeth receded and he laid a gentle kiss to his mate's neck, licking her to seal the wound.
Liliana leaned forward and he bent to accommodate her. From the moment her mouth touched his neck he went up in flames. Her small bite weakened his knees and he closed his eyes.
***
His taste.
Gods, lightning arced through her body. Magic seared her senses until there was nothing but Leo. Her soul soared, merged with his, and her skin tingled, her clothes too restricting. She now understood why the Cagyn ceremony was performed in the nude. She wanted to tear the clothes from her body and meld with him, skin to skin. Though it only took a few seconds to exchange the blood, it felt like hours until she pulled back from him. Drunk off his power, and filled with lust, her eyes met his. Molten mercury clashed with her gaze, and trapped her in place as he leaned down and kissed her.
Liliana cursed their bounds hands. She wanted more than anything to touch him, to hell with the gathered crowd.
The elder cleared his throat. The crowd chuckled and Leo backed away from Liliana. She shifted impatiently as the elder completed the ceremony. Magic lit the room, sparks raining from the ceiling as the ancestors accepted the match. Their bound hands were released and the elder ended the ceremony. Leo walked Liliana out through the crowd, nodding at well-wishers, ignoring the gossip mongers.
She barely heard the congratulations, her heart pounded, her focus solely on her hand in Leo's. His grip was warm, the skin of his hands soft despite the work he did. The moment they were out of eyesight he pulled her into the nearest room and pushed her against the wall. Liliana gasped. His hands moved on her body with his eyes full of the same heat coursing through her. He bunched her skirt, pushing it up to her waist. He ripped off her underwear and entered her, swallowing any protest she may have had. Not that she had any. The residual magic from the ceremony had her body tight as a bow string, and throbbing to the rhythm of their combined heartbeats.
Liliana threw herself into the kiss, so turned on her legs barely held her up. Leo solved that problem by wrapping her legs around his waist. He drove into her and she clawed at his back. The taste of him lingered in her mouth, exotic and intoxicating.
Leo finally lifted his head and she gulped in air.
"You're going to kill me aren't you?" He growled.
She arched her back, driving him deeper, her husky laugh echoing against the walls. “What a way to go, though”
There was no gentleness, just pure concentration on his face, as he drove her up and over the edge. She came and tasted her own blood as she bit down on her lip to keep form screaming. He tensed, thrusting one last time before he bit into her shoulder to stop his own scream. He buckled and Liliana laughed as they tumbled to the floor.
“Gods, woman. We’ll be dead in a decade if we keep this up.” He pulled her on top of him.
She laughed and looked around the room they’d just snuck into. “There is a perfectly good bed not even three feet away from us, Leonalph.” The empty bedroom looked like a small guest chamber.
He groaned and reached down to stroke a finger through the damp curls protecting her sex. “I couldn’t have waited another inch to be inside you.” He whispered against her lips.
She sighed in pleasure as he pushed her thighs further apart. He kissed her skin over her newest bite mark from him.
“It’s a good thing the mating ceremony is completed. I won’t have to worry about your fangs anymore.” She touched her shoulder gingerly. “No more biting for you.”
Leo kissed the spot gently. “I apologize, ina. I get carried away. Does it hurt?”
“If I say yes, will you kiss me and make it better?” She shifted her hips, teasing him.
He growled, growing hard again beneath her. “Do you think they’ll miss us at the reception?”
“Are you thinking of skipping our reception and sneaking onto Adro?”
“Perhaps not as far as Adro. We can stop at our room at the Amanda station until we’re sated.” Leo lifted her and positioned her over his shaft. “Which I think will take some hours.”
A knock on the door froze them. She jerked away from her and rushed to get up. She smothered her laughter as Leo pulled her back to him.
“Oh no you don’t, Leonalph. Put that thing away.” She scrambled from atop him, giggling trying to fix her gown. No way was she going round two on the hard floor with someone at the door listening in. While it was hot sneaking around having sex in the palace, having an audience was different.
Leo grabbed her ankle and pulled her back. “I’m officially your lord and master. Get back over here woman and obey me.”
Liliana laughed outright and kicked her feet to loosen his grip.
“If you two are finished, there is a room full of people waiting at your reception.” Xavier’s dry tone sent her into another peal of giggles.
“Go away Xavier.” Leo wrestled her until he pinned her to the floor. “I’m trying to ravish my mate.”
“Oh gods, get off. Get off now.” Liliana pushed at his shoulders, fighting embarrassment and mirth.
“I’ll be sure to tell her father what you said.”
Xavier shook the door knob.
“Get off, Leo, I mean it.” Her stomach hurt from laughing as she scrambled from under him. She raced to the door grabbing the knob and shoving it open.
Xavier raised a brow. Liliana adjusted her dress and used her magic to fix her hair. He looked at her, his eyes puzzled.
She touched her face. “What?”
“Thank you.” Serious, with a little smile playing at his lips, Xavier continued to stare.
“For what?”
He inclined his head towards the door of the closet. Leo came out of the room smiling, his eyes seeking her, traveling her body. She’d had him not even five minutes ago, and still her body reacted to him. Her nipples tightened, her womb contracted in need.
"Xavier, I do believe I hate you.” Leo tucked the shirt of his uniform into his pants.
Xavier saluted them. “My pleasure, brother.”
"Come here, ina. I'm not through with you yet."
His voice wrapped around her, and Liliana took a step towards him. His nostrils flared, his eyes swirled with energy and she was drawn. Xavier stepped between them. Leo growled.
"An hour max, Leo, and then you can have your mate." Xavier rolled his eyes.
Leo reached around his brother and snatched Liliana into his arms. He tangled his hands in her hair, pulling down the bun she'd hastily erected. "One hour," he grumbled, sealing their lips together.
Liquid flooded her center, the nerves throbbing, aching for his touch. She parted her lips and moaned as his tongue entered her mouth.
“Enough, you two.” Xavier growled from his position by the door.
She smiled and grabbed Leo’s hand. “Just a little longer, my love.”
Smiling, he kissed her one final time on the forehead. Nodding to his brother, Leo straightened his uniform and put on a blank face.
She sighed, just an hour, surely they could do that with little drama.
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